Under the direction of the Department of Human Services, an interagency team was formed in 1997 to discuss strategies for increasing and enhancing the inclusion of children with special needs in child care. Thus was the formation of what is now called the MAP to Inclusive Child Care Team.

The New Jersey Inclusive Child Care Project... (formally known as the MAP to Inclusive Child Care Training and Technical Assistance Project)

This initiative was funded through a grant to the Statewide Parent Advocacy Network (SPAN). The goals of the project were to:

To increase the quality of early care and education for children with special needs.

To increase the number of child care providers that offer inclusive child care.

To increase awareness among parents, child care providers and child care resource and referral agencies of the services available for children with special needs.

To improve the delivery of services for children with special needs through collaboration among providers of child care services and special needs services.

Resources for Including Children with Special Needs in Child Care

The Resources for Including Children with Special Needs in Child Care pdf file is a 2-sided list of resources:

Side One) has a map of NJ with statewide contacts.

Side Two) is a grid of county phone numbers for Unified Child Care Agencies, Child Care Health Consultant Coordinators and Case Management Units.

This 12-page booklet provides information for parents in a question and answer format plus 4 pages of resources. The 2004 version was revised by the MAP Team from the original booklet published by Community Coordinated Child Care of Union County.

This booklet is presented in two formats.

Parents Guide – back-to-backis in the best format for professional printing. Specific pages must be copied back-to-back and then folded. There is a folder available on a CD which should be given to a professional for printing [(856) 582-7000 ext. 161 for the CD].Parents Guide pgcan be copied from a printer and stapled together.

This fact sheet was developed by the MAP Team and approved by the NJ Department of Health and Senior Services and the NJ Department of Education. The fact sheet was designed to be used to give providers and parents information about these services. Special Education Fact Sheet

The interagency MAP to Inclusive Child Care Team has been meeting regularly since 1997 to discuss strategies for increasing and enhancing the inclusion of children with special needs in child care settings.

Originally under the direction of the Department of Human Services, the MAP Team included DHS representatives from the former Office of Early Care and Education, Division of Family Development, Office of Licensing, and the Division of Developmental Disabilities. It now operates through the NJ Department of Education, at the EIRC in Sewell, New Jersey.

The MAP Team also includes representatives from the Department of Education (Office of Special Education, Office of Early Childhood Education and Learning Resource Centers), Department of Health and Senior Services (Early Intervention and Maternal, Child, and Community Health Services and Special Child Health Services), Early Intervention providers, Head Start, Unified Child Care Agencies, disability organizations, child care providers, parents, trainers, and advocates for children with special needs.

One of the major outcomes of the MAP Team has been the opportunity for discussion among representatives from different departments in state government and community stakeholders. Partnerships and relationships have been formed at the MAP Team meetings that lead to collaboration on many levels.

The documents provided on this web page are a result of the collaborative effort of the partners on the MAP Team. All documents may be reproduced without permission. We hope that you will use them to help us achieve our vision:All Children in New Jersey Will Have Equal Access to Affordable, High Quality, Developmentally Appropriate and Culturally Competent Child Care.

In 1997, the US Department of Health and Human Services offered small grants to states to coordinate resources for including children with special needs in typical settings. The New Jersey Department of Human Services (DHS) received a three-year grant to implement the MAP to Inclusive Child Care Team.

In 1998 a 22-member committee was formed and a strategic planning meeting was held. As a result of the meeting, vision and mission statements were crafted along with five goals and objectives.

In the fall of 1999 the MAP Team sponsored a Summit on Inclusive Child Care and 80 stakeholders representing both government and the private sector were invited. Issues, barriers and strategies were identified at the summit in four key areas: professional development, legal, regulatory and policy issues, parent involvement, and interagency collaboration.

In 2002 the MAP Team made recommendations to the Office of Licensing for changes to the Manual of Requirements for Child Care Centers, initiated a relationship with NJ Division of Civil Rights, and developed a Resource Sheet for including children with special needs in child care settings.

In April 2003 "A Celebration of Success and View for the Future" was held at the State House in Trenton. Highlights of the work of the Map Team over the last 6 years were presented. Original MAP Team members were recognized for their dedication to the project.

In 2004 the MAP Team continued a dialogue with the Office of Licensing for further revisions of the Child Care Manual, reviewed a training to assist county child care referral staff when talking to parents of children with special needs and developed fact sheets for parents and providers on NJ’s Law Against Discrimination, Early Intervention and Special Education processes. The “MAP CD” which includes 10 resources to facilitate inclusion in child care was produced. We have also created a logo to identify all of our materials.

The MAP team provides guidance to the NJ Inclusive Child Care Project, of the Statewide Parent Advocacy Network (SPAN), that offers on-site technical assistance, workshops and an annual conference.

One of the major outcomes of the MAP Team is the opportunity for discussion among representatives from different departments in state government and community stakeholders. Partnerships and relationships are formed at the MAP Team meetings that lead to collaboration on many levels.

In 2009, the MAP Team operations moved from the NJ Department of Human Services to the NJ Department of Education. For more information on the MAP Team, contact Jane Voorhees Sharp at the Education Information and Resource Center (EIRC), 606 Delsea Drive in Sewell, NJ 08080; (856) 582-7000 ext. 161.